Chapter 106: Gifts from the Head Priest
"Miss Maine, the attendants should move to their Masters' house. They can't live in the orphanage. How do you persuade the Head Priest?"
As soon as we leave the orphanage, Fran asks sincerely.
"Now, there is no gray-robed priestess in the orphanage to take care of the children. So as the orphanage director, I will suggest that my attendant stay there and take care of them. There used to be children who suddenly have a fever in the midnight."
"… I didn't think about this at all. Thus I feel a little relieved," says Fran.
I'm surprised at Fran's way of speaking to . Noticing that I get sulky about his less politeness, Fran added in panic,
"Miss Maine, you often swing into action as soon as you co up with an idea, so I'm worried how you should explain to the Head Priest…"
"I take Wilma as an attendant, and have her live in the orphanage. Do you approve of my idea or not, Fran? You still oppose this plan, right?"
"This will break the tradition, but I think it would be better if we consider it from orphans' or Wilma's point of view."
With Fran's support, I write to the Head Priest to ask for a eting. The Head Priest writes back, and says that he has consulted with Fran about Wilma's affair, and it would be better to talk in my room than in the hidden room. The eting is arranged at 5 o'clock 5 days later.
I have been working energetically until the eting day.
I ask Gil to get so thick sheets of paper for Maine's Workshop for making picture books, and I promise to buy it through Lutz.
On the other hand, I read mother's bedti tales at the orphanage and observe children's response, in order to find out whether they are able to understand the tales or not. However, after hearing the tales, the children do not enjoy them and ask a number of questions, like "What's that?" Wilma does not know the life in my city, so she says she is not able to represent it in the painting. The difference between common sense and life seems to be bigger than I thought.
Furthermore, people in the temple seem to have no concept of personalized animals. Even when I tell them about the Seven Kids and Momotaro tales, they ask, "How can animals talk?" Thus, it is difficult to make the storybook that I heard before to be a picture book.
It seems better to have Wilma draw the Scripture-related pictures.
… After all, it is the first picture book for my first brother or sister, maybe I should draw so pictures, too.
At that ti, Hugo and Ella, who have learnt a lot of new recipes, hire a new cook, a man of the sa age as Fugo. The guy is often excited by the new dish when learning, and makes incomprehensible noises such as "Huh?" and "Wow!?", as if he is flustered.
Ella, an assistant, says, "It's Okay. You will get used to it after a few days," seeming to be thinking over own experience before.
Soon, the eting day cos. The appointnt is in the afternoon, so I cannot go to the library. Instead, I stay at ho. Fran and I are practicing how to greet the Head Priest and make his favorite tea.
Then the bell rings, much earlier than the appointed ti. That's the bell held by the attendants. They ring it to tell people in the room that soone cos.
"It's the Head Priest's assistants."
"How do you know it?"
"The bell sounds different."
As Fran is speaking, he gets down to the ground floor. Because the Head Priest is busy with too many affairs, maybe he wants to change the visit ti.
As I lean out from upstairs, looking down, I saw Delia coming out of the kitchen and walking fast towards the door. The reception of visitors is the apprentice's job.
After Delia confirms the visitors and their purpose, she opens the door. The gray-robed priests carrying big boxes co in one after another.
"These are gifts from the Head Priest. Where shall we put them?"
"To the second floor. Please put them into the master's room."
While Delia is speaking, Fran leads the way and they carry the packages to the second floor. I hurry back to the desk and put on a pretty smile as a lady.
"Excuse , Miss Maine."
Arnaud cos to greet . Under the direction of Delia and Fran, the grey-robed priests leave the luggages in my room. Arnaud narrows his eyes, and looks around the room nostalgically.
"… Miss Maine has kept everything at the sa state."
"Huh?"
"No, never mind. … 3 big boxes, 2 small boxes. Ok, confird. See you, then."
"Thank you. Please say thanks to the Head Priest for ."
I smile at Arnaud. Arnaud leads the Head Priest's assistants back in a row.
As soon as Fran says good-bye and closes the door, he quickly cos up to the second floor.
"Let's open it now. The Head Priest will co soon. Delia, please go to the workshop and call Gil."
"Ok! Well, gifts shouldn't be sent just before a personal visit."
As Delia rushes out, Fran hurries to open the cases. Soon, Delia and Gil co back and join in.
In the wooden case wrapped a suite of bedclothes, and two musical instrunts - one for adults, the other for children. Besides, there are several tools for maintenance of musical instrunts. It seems that the Head Priest will, at all costs, help to improve artistic cultivation.
… Wow. I refused his advice by the reason of no musical instrunt, and then the instrunts are sent here.
"Yeah, Fran. Did the Head Priest say anything to you?"
Indeed, rather than gratitude, I feel more puzzled about so many gifts. In particular, I have never received bedclothes, so I'm pretty confused. Fran seems to be so confused as well, that he frowns.
"When you fainted in the introspection room, the Head Priest was very angry, because you are so weak that you often fall down in a faint but have not gotten your bed prepared. Though the Head Priest does not live here, he knows all about this. Maybe he presents you with the bedclothes for this…"
I did faint in the temple several tis, so I also think I need to prepare the bedclothes, but I didn't expect I will receive the bedclothes from the Head Priest.
"But it's a really good, isn't it?"
After Gil and Delia make the bed, I approach it and touch it with my hands.
The futon selected by the Head Priest is different from mine, which is filled with straw. This is a superior product, like the one prepared in the guest room of Frieda's house. It's luxurious, with a lot of embroidery in its pleasant texture.
Even the cloth and embroidery cost a large sum of money. However, it seems stupid to think about its price when a suit of bedclothes is presented as a gift.
I don't know if it's normal for the nobles to present such gifts. Maybe the Head Priest just lends it to , and will charge for it later.
"Fran, maybe it's better to pay for that later, right?"
"No, maybe it's an apology for putting you in the introspection room where you fell down in a faint. So it's better to keep it."
"Apology… Which God should I thank this ti?"
I ask Fran wearily whether I have to learn a new God's na again for the gifts. He covers his mouth with his hands, looks as if enduring a frantic laugh.
"Just thank the Head Priest instead of God this ti."
"Oh, yes. It's the Head Priest who gives the gifts."
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